Express Entry: IRCC invites 4,000 CEC candidates
In the third draw of the year, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has extended more invitations to apply (ITAs) to candidates in the Express Entry pool.
The department issued 4,000 ITAs to candidates in a Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw.
Candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 527 and to have submitted an Express Entry candidate profile before 7:06:43 am Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on July 23, 2024, to be invited.
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Today's draw follows a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw on January 7, and a Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw on January 8. IRCC has declared its intention to continue draws for these candidates in the future, as detailed through the "In-Canada Focus" allocation of the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan. The immigration department has dedicated 82,890 new immigrant landings to Canada in 2025, under this allocation.
Summary of Express Entry draws in 2025
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Cut-off CRS score |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 23 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 527 |
| January 8 | Canadian Experience Class | 1,350 | 542 |
| January 7 | Provincial Nominee Program | 471 | 793 |
How can I increase my CRS score?
The CRS assigns scores to candidates based on multiple factors, including:
- Core human capital factors;
- Skill transferability factors;
- Spouse or common-law partner factors; and
- Additional factors.
Based on these criteria, newcomers seeking an ITA through the Express Entry system can take several steps to maximize their score under the CRS*, including but not limited to:
- Attaining higher education credentials;
- Increasing official language ability in English or French (with additional points for proficiency in both languages);
- Gaining additional Canadian or foreign work experience;
- Receiving a provincial nomination; and/or
- (If relevant) Receiving a certificate of qualification in a trade occupation, issued by a Canadian province—which can yield more points when combined with a candidate's official language abilities.
*Note that points awarded for scoring factors differ depending on whether an applicant has a spouse or common-law partner in their application. Use our CRS calculator to better understand your CRS score and how it may change.
The continued importance of Express Entry
Though originally slated to be overtaken by the PNP allocation in 2024, the programs managed under Express Entry have instead continued to be Canada's largest economic pathways for economic immigration.
In the announcement of the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan IRCC increased its landings allocation through the Express Entry system, (from 110,770 landings in 2024 to 124,590 in 2025), while simultaneously halving landings allocations for PNPs—from 110,000 in 2024 to just 55,000 in 2025.
Changes to these landing allocations will have downstream effects on the number of ITAs that IRCC will issue to candidates through these programs/pathways. Reductions in landings targets will entail a reduction in ITAs through base PNP streams in 2025 (as compared to 2024). Similarly, programs managed by Express Entry will likely have to issue more ITAs to meet their landings as their allocations rise.
These changes make the programs under Express Entry even more crucial pathways for foreign skilled workers looking to immigrate to Canada in 2025.
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